A racist lout who abused a mother in front of her children in a busy supermarket was today (Friday) fined £550.
Paul McClure, 38, told mum-of-two Zaitoon Salamat to “go back to your own country” in a vile tirade at the self service checkouts at Asda in Toryglen.
McClure, a chef, pleaded guilty today at Glasgow Sheriff Court to acting in a threatening and abusive manner which was racially aggravated.
Zaitoon's two young children watched on as their mother was abused by drunken McClure.
Prosecutor Clara Smeaton said: “She thought the conversation was friendly at first, but as it continued, things became heated and a heated exchange took place.”
The court heard Zaitoon' s nine-year-old daughter became upset as McClure continued his abuse. McClure ignored security guards and the heated exchange turned racist.
Miss Smeaton added: “McClure told her 'Go back to your own country' and then said ' f**k off.'
“She told him she was Scottish, but he refused to listen and she became scared and alarmed by his behaviour.”
Police arrested McClure in his Rutherglen home the following week discovered he was a former employee at the store.
McClure, who defended himself in court, claimed he is not racist. He told the court: “There are no excuses, I was under the influence of alcohol.
“This was a post wedding engagement that started at 12pm that day and ended by the time I got to Asda.
“I lost my job after a video of this was put on the internet and was in three newspapers.”
Sheriff Stuart Reid fined McClure £550 and told him: “This type of behaviour is just unacceptable and shouldn’t be tolerated at all.”
At the time speaking on social media, Zaitoon said: "This was my first official experience of a racist hate crime.
She said that her daughters were left absolutely shaken and terrified.
Zaitoon added: "A Scottish man decided to spout poison" and branded him 'pathetic".
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